Second Chances
by Abbiegrace-98
Summary: Just your run of the mill "Jack lives!" story. Starting right out of the ocean, ending up who knows where! (Will follow Jack and Rose's life after Titanic). Ratings may change according to where my imagination takes me. Enjoy! :)
1. Chapter 1

Rose and Jack stopped talking altogether, after a short while.

It was too cold.

Too hopeless.

Too tragic.

They lay side by side, barely keeping out of the frigid North Atlantic as waves lapped up, temperature stabbing skin like knives. The strip of wood was scarcely keeping the two young souls afloat.

"Come Josephine… flying machine… up she goes… she goes"

The words, a fun party tune turned to the accompaniment of a passionate first kiss only just made it out of Rose's blue-frosted lips. The sky above was painted black, as dark as the scene around her – she daren't look.

It had gotten this quiet for a reason, after all.

Silver stars spotted the heavens- Rose tried to count them all to pass the time. She wished she'd learned about constellations. One, two, a billion. Out of her peripheral vision, one shot right across the skyline, and into the horizon.

"A soul going to heaven…"

Jack's words reverberated in her mind from only two nights ago. It seemed like a lifetime. She squeezed his hand even tighter.

His whole arm was strewn across her torso, holding her safe to him, trying to conserve warmth, conserve a will to live. The metal of his still-cuffed wrist bit into her flesh, but her comfort was the least of her concerns right now.

She'd never felt a love like this before. She hoped that's what it was. An all-consuming force that seemed to scatter sense and reason, right and wrong, expectation and practicality, right into the wind. To have it granted for less than two measly days, only to have it taken away so carelessly!

The phrase that'd come to mean so much to them over the past few days became a mantra, the only thing besides the man laying next to her keeping her fighting. God knows she had nothing else left. Certainly not her mother. Certainly not the sickening, pompous aristocracy of first-class. Not that she cared. Jack had set her free.

"I'll never let go… I'll never let go… I'll never let go… I'll never let…"

….

"Is there anyone alive out there?"

Rose was jostled out of her brief slumber to the desperate call of one of the _Titanic's_ remaining Officers. Jack had told her not to close her eyes, but she was just so tired… so tired.

"Jack?" She whispered, if you could even call her strained speech as much as that. "Jack?"

Rose tugged on the arm draped around her body gently, and then after a few moments, a little more forcefully as panic began to seize her head and heart.

"Jack!" "There's a boat, Jack!"

Her breath hitched in her throat. Oh God. Why was he not responding? No. No. No.

Please.

No.

"Jack!"

Rose knew that both of them would have to remove themselves from this godforsaken hunk of wood eventually – and she had to see his face again. Even if the worst had happened. They'd lay wrapped around one another for hours, not having the strength to turn around and look at each other, even if only to console themselves with tender gazes alone.

"Rose?"

The voice that had begun to make her heart flutter ever since she'd first heard it's first plea, " _don't_ _do_ _it!"_ called out to her.

She let out a fervent breath of relief.

He was alive!

"There's a boat!" "There's a boat!" She repeated ardently.

"Okay" Jack whispered back, squeezing her hand warmly despite its icy grip.

"We're gonna have to swim for it, okay? One last push now, Rose. It's almost over. C'mon!"

He squeezed her hand one last time, before his body lost contact with hers completely, and a loud splash could be heard erupting from behind her.

She panicked for a split second.

He was there to help her though, just as he had always been.

"C'mon, Rose, I'll help you!"

She tried to nod her head, but her bones felt frozen-in-motion.

"I won't go without you".

Jack's encouragements finally equipped her with enough mental strength to pry herself away from the wood. A pain-stricken moan escaped her body as it fully connected with the water once more.

She felt Jack's hands latch itself to hers beneath the waters' surface, and they began to motion forwards.

"Oh, God", Rose whispered in both horror and sorrow, as Jack forced a whistle out of the lily-white lips of what used to be an officer of the _White_ _Star_ _Line_.

A deep intake of breath, and then…

….

….

….

"Come ABOUT!"

The lifeboat had finally, FINALLY, reached them. A forlorn, worn and weary looking officer stepped into action immediately.

Jack motioned for Rose to be helped aboard first, to which she gratefully accepted.

Once they had been hauled in, they were draped in layer upon layer of blankets, ears deaf to the words from the officer;

"So sorry… are you okay? I'm so, so sorry. Get warm now".

Empty words, now, really.

No apology could fix this tragedy.

They lay side by side once more, flirtatious repartee that had trademarked their relationship replaced with nothing but bitter silence, filled with anguish, shock, remorse.

As the sun crested over the horizon, turning the sky a hazy pink, Rose thought about how lucky she was to see the sun rise again. God knows they'd been the lucky ones.

Her eyes fluttered faster… faster, and slower then. Stopping completely. She was left to dream about herself and Jack, what was left to come. A future. A happy once too, she hoped. Leave the tragedy to reality.

This was a night to be remembered, indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

The _Carpathia_ was teeming with sound – shrill cries of babies nestled amongst broken families, desperate pleas of wives looking for their lost husbands. But the worst? That was the silence- the painful, deafening kind that hung in the air between Rose and Jack. What was to be said after such a thing as this?

Rose had remained huddled in a blanket a blanket ever since she had stepped off of the lifeboat. Beside her, Jack had dozed off again – they were both trying to stave off what had almost been full blown hypothermia, and their bodies were no short of beaten-down and exhausted.

Their hands remained clasped, as if still holding on for dear life.

She took a moment to admire him – his rough, calloused hands, the sign of hard labour. Blonde-streaked hair, no doubt bleached from countless days in the sun, drawing, _living._ Rose couldn't couldn't wait to truly begin to live – she didn't think she'd ever been properly alive, not really. A half life, you could call it. Not at all her own.

Maybe she would get a tan, too, just for the hell of it. Her mother certainly wasn't around to keep her as pristine as a porcelain doll any longer.

For a second, she turned her head to admire the brilliance of the once again setting sun, when she saw him. Her face remained stoic. Should she really be surprised that Cal had survived? She watched him fumble around the deck for a while. God. Was he _still_ looking for her?

Quickly, Rose covered herself and Jack in the blankets completely, hiding their faces from view. He went to look around at them, and she held her breathe. And then- he just gave up. He was gone. She would quite happily go the rest of her life without seeing that man ever again. To think that she had almost married someone she felt such a pit of resentment in her stomach for!

For the first time, in quite some time, Rose felt as if she could breathe.

….

"Rose?" Jack mumbled from beside her a few hours later. The sky had turned dark, and it had begun to drizzle. Like a little water bothered them any more.

Rose let her pink lips curve upward slightly, still in a sullen sort of stance, as he fully awoke. In an instant, he had pulled her closer, kissed the top of her curls delicately, and then, let her finally, _erupt._

She sobbed into the soft cotton fabric of his shirt, harder than she could ever remember doing for the last seventeen years. Even when her father had died. She supposed that she had been conditioned not to.

"It's okay, it'll be alright now" Jack soothed warmly. "Once we arrive in New York, that's it. I promise you you'll never have to set foot on another ship again if you don't wanna."

Rose continued to sob.

"Well", he admonished, "certainly not a White Star Line one, that's for sure! Oh boy did I mean it when I said I was gonna write 'em a strongly worded letter!"

Rose let out a final sob, whimper, and then a small laugh. She'd never had anyone care for her like this before. She gave herself over completely to the laughter. Just for a change.

….

"So…" Rose began.

Jack waited for her to continue.

Rose eyed the _Statue of Liberty_ looming in her peripheral vision, and stood up, taking Jack with her by the hand to get a closer look.

"So what, Rose?" He pressed.

She bit her lip, and sighed.

"When I said I was getting off with you, I never asked. Is that what you wanted? So much has happened, and I realise-"

Jack cut her babbling off with a searing kiss, forcefully pressing his lips against hers.

This kiss seemed to encapsulate every other passionate moment that they had shared. Between her tangled lashes, Rose could see a setting sunset, hear Rose Jack crooning into her ear, watched him again and again as he ran to her with both amazement and fear, feel his arms lifting her into his own.

Rose's hands travelled to his hair, tugging on it gently to make sure that he was still here, still with her.

He bit her bottom lip, and she let out a moan of delight, hands roaming up and down –

"Excuse me?" The sound of a most impatient man came from behind them. He cleared his throat in embarrassment as they broke away from one another, although, Jack would not let their handhold break. Rose smiled at that.

"Um… can I take your names, please?"

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but Rose quickly cut him to the chase.

"Dawson." She stated. "Jack and Rose Dawson."

Quickly stealing a sidewards glance, she could see Jack's face explore a plethora of emotions; shocked, happy, worried, back to brilliantly happy again. The man noted it down, and sauntered off.

"Have you really thought this through? Are you sure this is what _you_ still want?" Jack frowned, looking into her eyes as if trying to read her thoughts.

"Yes. I know what I want. You" she confirmed. "I don't need anything else."

He smiled, but rolled his eyes.

"Well, I am pretty great, but I think foods pretty important. What I wouldn't do for a hotdog right now!" Jack smiled.

Rose smacked him around the shoulder playfully.

"I was _trying_ to be deep and romantic and meaningful and you completely ruined the mood!" She laughed.

"Oh, okay okay, how about this then", Jack chuckled. "You jump I jump, right?"

"That's right", Rose grinned. "And don't you forget it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! If anyone has been keeping up with this story, sorry that I've taken so long to update. I've had exams the past month, but that's all done now! I should be updating much more frequently. A really big thank you to everyone that's either just read, liked or reviewed my stories- it means so so much to me. Enjoy!**

 **-Abbie**

Everything seemed so...

Anticlimactic.

Rose was barely and adult, and though Jack was hardly inexperienced in the wide world, he was, still, just a twenty one year old. Would they be okay?

Passion had clouded their better judgement; they hadn't had time to think about the logistics. Of course they didn't regret their time together, the outcome of it all. It was just hard to see how they could manage; youth and a wild spirit didn't exactly come accompanied by economic graces and social niceties.

That; that was something that had to be earned. And it would be hard. And it would be every day. But they would make it work. Love was a magic that would make the sanest man go mad, but it was also an assurance- one that they would be okay as long as they had each other.

Light began to stream through the thin voile curtains, stirring Jack into a state of wakefulness. They had been lucky to be given a space in a small bed and breakfast, reserved for three weeks until survivors could get back on their feet.

There was no argument the night before about which of them should take the bed – they daren't be parted from one another, not even for a second. The nightmares were still too bad, even after a week.

Jack stared at Rose's fiery curls splayed about the pillow – no doubt a match for her personality. But her skin, that told a different story. It looked like fine china. She was still so delicate. Was he selfish for wanting her?

….

Jack knocked on the door of the bathroom a few times.

"Rose? Can I talk to you in a minute?"

He heard a splashing of water, and then Rose called back;

"Just come in! It's hardly anything that you haven't seen before."

Jack's cheeks burned at this, but still, he opened the door and preceded through it. He took a sharp intake of breath- Rose's body never failed to knock the very wind out of his lungs. But he had to remember to remain civil. There were more important matters at hand.

He kneeled beside the porcelain bath, and as Rose shifted around to look at him, he took her hands into his.

"We've gotta discuss what we're gonna do next, Rose".

She sighed, and lifted her gaze from their entwined hands to meet his.

"I know. I felt as if I've been living in a dream world these past weeks – everything feels so ethereal. Like it's a lovely dream and a sickening nightmare all at once – and now I finally have to wake up".

Jack frowned. "I know what you mean". He squeezed one of her hands gently. "But I, for one, am a hell of a lot thankful for what I got now".

Rose leaned forward to give him a sweet, lingering kiss in reply.

"I could draw in Central Park – isn't too far away. Would raise us enough money to get clothes, food – some train tickets, by the end of the month maybe?"

Rose arched an eyebrow.

"Train tickets?" she asked dubiously. "And where are we headed, exactly?"

Jack began to smile widely.

"Where, Jack?" Rose implored curiously.

"Why, not live in the dream a while longer?" he grinned. "Or, at least, bring yours to life?"

Rose's eyebrows furrowed for a second, and then her mind took her back to that sunny, sunny day on the deck of the _Titanic_ …

" _Say we'll go there, sometime, to that pier. Even if we only ever just talk about it"._

Rose nearly almost leapt from the bath and into Jacks' arms.

"Oh, Jack, really?" she cried.

He brushed a stray, damp lock of red hair that clung to her face behind her ear.

"The only way to get the bad times behind us is to move forward into happier ones, I say. I'll do my damned best to make sure that this, or anything else doesn't haunt you forever, Rose."

She smiled as widely as him.

"Just you wait", he laughed. "Come June, we'll be on our way to sunny old Santa Monica".


End file.
